sold for £37.49 on average on release day. That’s a difference of £17.50 – 31.8 per cent less than its actual RRP. Also, gaps in the chart are due to games only being released on certain formats, or ones that haven’t been available for 90 days yet. Of all the games analysed, just FIFA 12, Gears of War 3, Skylanders and Modern Warfare 3were the only titles to cost more than £30 each two months after release. Titles exclusive to one format,

such as Gears of War 3on Xbox 360 and Uncharted 3 on PS3, tend to hold on to their prices better than multiformat games.

“Whilst it is not entirely surprising, the general trend appears to be the more hyped the game and the better the reviews, the longer the price has remained near its release price,” he says. “Modern Warfare 3was released with a best price of £34.98 but a month later, the cheapest price available was £37.99, a full eight per cent higher. Battlefield 3cost only six per cent less a month after its release, as did Batman: Arkham City. Each of these games received overwhelmingly positive reviews prior to release.

“On the other hand, games which

didn’t receive positive reviews were discounted heavily and more quickly. Need for Speed: The Run, for

75.8% 80.9% 67.4% 61.9%

ANALYSIS: PRICE DROP HIGHLIGHTS £17.97 At launch

30 days later £15.98

instance, was available for 38 per cent less only 30 days after coming onto the market.

“The exception to this rule appeared to be The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which had a widely publicised price reduction in the run-up to Christmas, only a month after release. It was 39 per cent less a month later. “However, 60 days after Skyrim’s street date, it had reverted to a price which correlated to other similarly positively reviewed games – 24 per cent less than its cost on release day.”